


For Her

by 1Zukoneedsafamily2



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dadko 2020, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Pining, Single Parent Zuko, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko has feelings for a dead guy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Zukoneedsafamily2/pseuds/1Zukoneedsafamily2
Summary: Zuko becomes a dad due to certain events happening.Betaed by Flameo Hotman and Scar and boomerang
Comments: 12
Kudos: 91





	For Her

The bodies of the two assassins bled out onto the floor. He couldn’t tell the color of their blood from that of his robes because of how the moonlight washed out the colors  _ o _ f the room. He looked down into his arms at his dying friend. Kuzon's blood added to the existing stains on his robes, mixing together.

Zuko felt the tears running down his face as he held Kuzon in his arms, his panic building as Kuzon’s blood ran between his fingers. Kuzon was bleeding out too fast. Help wouldn't get here in time to save him. Zuko pressed a cloth against the wound to slow the bleeding. Kuzon coughed and looked up Zuko's face with a tender look. 

Kuzon cupped Zuko’s cheek. "Zuko, don't feel bad about this. It was my job to give my life for yours." His breath hitched and his hand went limp.

Zuko felt cold. The feeling seeped into his bones and nothing would warm him. The blood was drying on his hands and he forced himself to let go of Kuzon's body. He turned away from Kuzon and marched to the scribe quarters.

He couldn’t care less what the scribes were doing at this hour of night when bursting in to find one of them packing up for the night, looking startled as she looked Zuko up and down, trying to figure out why he was there.

Zuko came up to the desk and put his hands on it, "I need Guard Kuzon's address and an adoption form."

The scribe looked at his bloodstained hands and shock quickly rose on her face, followed by horror. She complied as quickly as she could. Zuko swayed slightly on his feet and had to grip the scribe’s desk. The blood clotted on his hands as he waited for the scribe, distantly he thought about how he should wash his hands before going to pick up Izumi.

He signed the adoption papers as soon as they were on the desk. 

Agni, he felt so cold.

* * *

Zuko waited for his servants to prepare him a carriage. He got in and told the coach man to hurry. He was hoping that he would start to feel warm soon. It hurt to feel so cold. He still couldn't shake the feeling of Kuzon’s blood on his hands even though he had scrubbed the skin raw.

He got to Kuzon's house far faster than what would have been safe in daylight hours. 

Stepping out of the carriage and walking up to Kuzon's small house, knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a wizened old woman, who squinted at him. "Young man, do you know how late it is?" 

Zuko dipped his head in apology. "My apologies, but I'm here for Izumi. Her father has died and I have decided to take her in." He wasn’t really sorry. He just wanted to see and hold Izumi.

The woman had her mouth open in shock. "But, why are you taking her? What happened to her father?"

"He was killed protecting me. I feel responsible for her. So I'm going to take her in and give her the best life I possibly can." He looked at the floor. 

His head snapped up when he heard the woman starting to harshly whisper, "No amount of wealth can replace the loss of her father!"

"I wasn't hoping to replace her father with money. Just try to fill the void by giving her love and support." He felt the distress building up in him.

Suddenly, a little girl toddled out from behind a curtain that separated the house, rubbing her eyes "Aunty whys making noise?"

"Izumi. I dropped by to say hi…" Zuko knelt down on one knee already feeling the warmth returning to him and happiness bloomed in his chest.

Izumi blinked and a large grin came on her face. She ran up to Zuko, shrieking "Unc'e Koko!"

He chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He picked her up and settled her on his hip. "Hey, Princess."

She giggled and poked his cheeks. "Unc'e where's Daddy? He never leaves you!"

Zuko's expression darkened. "Honey. You won't be seeing him for a long time. He's with the spirits now."

Her eyes got big and her eyebrows furrowed. "How long?"

"Until you go and join the spirits, little one." Zuko felt his face contort into a sad frown.

"How long?" Izumi’s eyes were huge and watery, her voice trembled softly when she voiced her question. Big tears had started to roll down her cheeks as she looked at Zuko's face.

"Hopefully not for a long time, sweetheart." Zuko felt his heart break as she started sobbing into his chest, holding onto him tight. He held her close to his chest and rubbed her back until she fell asleep.

The old woman frowns softly "Alright… you can have her. But may I come see her sometime?"

Zuko nodded and mouths thank you, making sure to tell one of his guards to get her name.

* * *

Breakfast was easy. He'd done this before. In fact most of the day went well. He just carried her around like he's done millions of times before. It made him miss Kuzon sharply, but he wouldn't exchange the time he was getting with this little girl for anything.

The difficulties came when bedtime was drawing close. Bath time was….. more difficult than expected. He had to be in the room while she was taking her bath because she would cry when he tried to leave. So he was sitting next to the tub playing with her, smiling softly and poking her nose.

Once she was out of the tub and dried off, getting her dressed was surprisingly easy. Getting her to get into bed and to lay down was much harder.

Izumi ran around giggling as Zuko chased her. Zuko felt like he was going to fall over at any minute.

Zuko only managed to get her into bed by tricking her into running by it. He caught her and rolled onto the bed.

Izumi pouted but got under the covers. "Story time Unc'e Koko!"

Zuko wished Kuzon was still here. At the very least to help him raise his daughter. He didn't realize how much more this added to his plate. Not that he regretted it, though. He read her the same story for almost two hours and had to keep singing the same lullaby in between each time he finished the story. He was exhausted but he would do anything for her.

* * *

Zuko looked at Kuzon's record. He had been at the palace since the beginning of Zuko's reign as firelord without Iroh as his regent. Azula had fired a lot of guards, including most of the imperial firebenders, and they still weren't able to replace most of the staff in those three years.

Kuzon was a part of the new hires. In fact he was the first to come knocking for a job. He was compelling- Pregnant wife, amazing firebending skills, and he just seemed so genuine. He had become Zuko's best friend. Kuzon had missed his daughter’s birth because Zuko had been in a meeting with Earth Kingdom generals.He and Kuzon had drunk an entire bottle of whiskey together when they found out his wife died in childbirth. And now Zuko had held his best friend in his arms and watched him die.

There was no rest for Zuko that night.

* * *

Kuzon’s funeral had been rather easy to plan. There were ritual rites for an imperial firebender. It was mostly just setting those rites in motion. They had put Kuzon on a pyre and had him burnt while Fire Sages chanted. His armor would be put in the Hall of Heroes with a plaque. Izumi had cried through the whole thing. For the parts where Zuko had to participate in the ritual she cried the loudest. It was hard not to rush off with her in his arms and take her away from the whole ordeal. 

He spoke of how brave Kuzon was and it rang empty in his heart. He didn’t care about how brave Kuzon had been. He wanted his best friend back. 

He would burn the whole Fire Nation just to look into his eyes and know he was  _ alive _ .

* * *

Izumi had been quiet those first few months. She would randomly burst into tears and sob. She clung to Zuko’s side and refused to leave him for any reason. He couldn't bear the idea of forcing her away. If anything, he was just as bad. He constantly carried her everywhere and wouldn’t let the nursemaid do her job.

Zuko had taken her into his office and had set Izumi next to his desk. She had been playing with her toy but she wasn't now. She wanted his attention.

"Unc'e Ko Ko!" she grabbed his sleeve and tugged. "Hungry."

Zuko nodded and gathered her in his arms, settling her on his hip. "What do you want today, princess?"

"Fruit!" she grabbed his robes tightly and bounced. 

He took her to the palace kitchen and told her to point out what fruit she wanted, grabbing the strawberry banana she had gestured towards. He set her on the counter and got to chopping up the fruit.

He had started prepping her food because one too many times someone had tried to poison him and almost gotten her at the same time.He had a taster for a while but it was just easier to learn the taste of it himself and the antidote to the poisons. He had a fully stocked cabinet of antidotes and other herbs just in case. But as it stood, he usually made Izumi her food.

He just couldn’t rid himself of that distrust.


End file.
